Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-06-05
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241348
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a package for an ink cartridge used in, for example, ink-jet printers, and a method for manufacturing the package.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink jet printer outputs data by ejecting ink droplets from nozzle holes of a recording head onto a recording medium (e.g., recording paper). An ink cartridge is installed in the printer in order to supply ink to the recording head. Such an ink cartridge is generally replaceable when the ink runs out.
A conventional ink cartridge is filled with a porous material which absorbs and stores ink in it. This ink cartridge has an ink supply hole, in which an ink inlet tube of the recording head is inserted in order to introduce the ink into the recording head. The ink cartridge also has an air hole, in addition to the ink supply hole, in order to keep the interior pressure of the ink cartridge at atmospheric pressure and to smoothly supply the ink from the porous material to the recording head via the ink supply hole.
When shipping the ink cartridges, the ink supply hole and the air hole of each ink cartridge are sealed by sealing tape for the purpose of preventing leakage or evaporation of ink and, then, each ink cartridge is packed in a packaging bag which can be easily opened by a user prior to actual use of the ink cartridge.
However, in this conventional method, both sealing tape and a package are separately used, which increases the number of packaging steps and elements. The amount of trash also increases, which is undesirable for environmental reasons. In addition, when the user replaces the ink cartridge with a new one, the package is opened first, and then, the sealing tape must be peeled off. Such double steps are troublesome to the user.
Furthermore, because the ink supply hole of the ink cartridge is sealed with sealing tape, a portion of ink absorbed in the porous material is likely to stick onto an inner surface (i.e., the adherent surface) of the sealing tape. In this case, when the user peels off the sealing tape, the ink droplets that are stuck to the sealing tape scatter around, and the user and the surroundings may be stained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to eliminate these drawbacks of the conventional art and provide a package for an ink cartridge which can directly seal the ink supply hole and the air hole upon packaging the ink cartridge. It is another object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing such a package for an ink cartridge.
In order to achieve the object, one aspect of the invention provides an ink-cartridge package which includes a packaging bag for packaging an ink cartridge that contains ink. The ink cartridge has an ink supply hole and an air hole. A resin layer is formed inside the packaging bag, the resin layer being meltable and adherent to the ink cartridge. When packaging the ink cartridge, a portion of the packaging bag is adhered to the areas around the ink supply hole and the air hole on the ink cartridge surface in a peelable manner, whereby the ink supply hole and the air hole are sealed.
In this arrangement, the packaging bag for enclosing an ink cartridge functions as a sealing member for sealing the ink supply hole and the air hole because the resin layer formed inside the packaging bag sticks to the areas around the ink supply hole and the air hole on the ink cartridge surface. Thus, the ink supply hole and the air hole are sealed without separately using sealing tape. When the packaging bag is opened and the ink cartridge is taken out of the bag, the packaging bag is peeled off from the adhesive areas around the ink supply hole and the air hole. An extra step of peeling off sealing tape, which is required for a conventional package, can be eliminated.
The packaging bag further has a nonpermeable layer for preventing permeation of moisture and air through the packaging bag.
The interior of the ink cartridge enclosed by the packaging bag is insulated from the outside by this nonpermeable layer. Since the air and moisture are blocked, the condition of the ink contained in the ink cartridge can be maintained stably over a long period of time.
The ink supply hole and the air hole are formed at opposite ends of the ink cartridge, and the packaging bag has a width corresponding to the dimensions of the ink cartridge so that the packaging bag fits the ink cartridge.
By setting the width of the packaging bag so as to correspond to the dimensions of the ink cartridge, the ink cartridge fits right into the packaging bag and, at the same time, the ink supply hole and the air hole are appropriately sealed. Even during transportation of the ink cartridges, the position of the ink cartridge relative to the packaging bag does not change, which can prevent an undesirable force from being applied onto the adhered part between the ink cartridge and the packaging bag. In other words, a situation in which the sealing portion of the packaging bag peels off from the ink cartridge during transportation can be avoided.
The packaging bag is, for example, a sleeve-like bag, and its opening ends are sealed by heat sealing, thereby completely sealing the packaging bag in order to protect the ink cartridge from the external atmosphere.
The packaging bag has a tear cut for allowing the bag to be opened easily, while leaving the ink supply hole still sealed with a part of the bag which wraps around the side surface of the ink cartridge extending from the ink supply hole.
When the packaging bag is opened from the tear cut and cut off, a part of the packaging bag which sticks around the ink supply hole and wraps around the side surface of the ink cartridge extending from the ink supply hole still remains. Then, when the ink cartridge is taken out of the remaining part of the packaging bag, the adhesive part of the packaging bag is peeled off from the ink supply hole. In this arrangement, even if a small quantity of ink scatters from the ink supply hole, it is blocked by the packaging bag, and does not stain the surroundings.
As an alternative, the packaging bag has a tear cut formed in the edge of the bag at a position closer to the air hole rather than to the ink supply hole.
When taking the ink cartridge out of the packaging bag, the packaging bag is opened from the tear cut, and cut off from the air hole side. The ink supply hole is exposed to the air after the air hole is opened. This arrangement can prevent the air from mixing with the ink near the ink supply hole. In addition, similar to the previous example, when the ink cartridge is taken out of the remaining part of the packaging bag, the adhered part of the packaging bag is peeled off from the ink supply hole inside the bag, which can prevent ink from scattering in an area surrounding the packaging bag.
The tear cut is, for example, a notch formed at a position closer to the air hole than to the ink supply hole.
Again, the packaging bag is easily opened from the air hole side.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for manufacturing an ink-cartridge package which includes a packaging bag for packaging an ink cartridge that contains ink. A resin layer is formed inside of the packaging bag, the resin layer being meltable and adherent to the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge has an ink supply hole and an air hole. This method includes the steps of inserting the ink cartridge in the packaging bag in a substantially vacuum atmosphere, and sticking a portion of the packaging bag onto the areas around the ink supply hole and the air hole on the ink cartridge surface in a peelable manner, thereby sealing the ink supply hole and the air hole.
In this method, after the ink cartridge is inserted into the packaging bag that has a thermally adherent resin layer, a portion of the packaging bag sticks to the areas around the ink supply hole and the air hole on the ink cartridge surface in a peelable manner. Thus, a part of the packaging bag is used as a sealing member, and the ink cartridge is easily packed in the package with t
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Le N.
Nguyen Judy
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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